Respite
by Infatuated-Simplicity
Summary: Botan was at her breaking point. One more ill conceived barb sent in her direction and she was going to fall off the deep end. She just hoped someone would be there to catch her as she falls. KuramaxBotan One-shot. Rated to be safe.


Authors note: Just an idea that sprang to mind one day while I was recently re-watching my favourite anime. If I had to render a guess I would say they are a little older. That is how I envisioned them but I don't suppose it matters really. I am slowly inching my way towards more adult content and this is my first real attempt but we are not fully there yet. There is no bashing intended and I am hoping all the characters are as they should be. Anyway I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I d not own Yu Yu Hakusho or the characters.

* * *

Botan could feel her breaking point coming. Any second now if she did not get some sort of reprieve she was going to snap. That was not like her, she knew, but it had been a hard week. Hell, it had been a hard month, hard year, hard decade... but the last month or so had been particularly brutal.

It had been all systems go in Reikai, one disaster after the next, which of course she was on hand for as Koenma's most trusted shinigami. And as if the run of the mill disasters that were not world ending were not bad enough, there had been three in this past month alone that Koenma had needed to call the boys in for. All this was on top of her usual haul of ferrying which had her busy most hours of the day anyway.

She was beat. So were the guys. No one had much patience any more and that had lead to the typical bickering but on an escalated scale. Thankfully she had managed to hold it together for the mission but she was not sure how much longer she could keep this up. Two things kept her going; the promise of some sleep when this was over and Kurama's calm demeanour.

He always managed to reassure her when things got strenuous. His presence did wonders for her outlook. She knew that even if all the others were having a horrible time of it he would have a plan, and he would actually stick to that plan. He was the one person she could count on. But this time even he was starting to be effected. It was stubble but the aggravation was there. She could see it in his shoulders and the tense muscle in his jaw that ticked with each barb that was shot. While his eyes were usually sharp today they were especially so, only softening when he looked back to try and show her that everything was alright.

And he was trying, trying so hard to keep them all from being at each others throats. Even he had his limits and he was coming to them. She had already passed hers but she was also trying not to explode, for everyones sake. She could wait so long as nothing else happened. She needed some sleep. And a long bath. Yes, a long soak in her bath tub would do wonders for her.

She felt the buzz of her compact in her kimono and instinctively cringed. While occasionally Koenma contacted her with good news it was not his conventional way of doing things. He typically saved praise for when she was passing him in the halls where such things would go mostly unnoticed and could be short and sweet. If he was calling it was because he needed something. After the first couple of vibrations the compact stopped. She knew what that meant too. Not urgent, but a new set of orders for her to complete upon delivering the boys was waiting for her. She was sure of it.

With a shuddering sigh and a sense of dread she retrieved the pink communicator and flipped it open. The voice on the other side was calm and direct. _Botan I need you to run some errands before you get back. Ogre where did that list go... Oh yes, strawberry mochi from that store I like, and a pepperoni pizza from that stall in New York-_

She came to an abrupt halt and snapped the device shut. The bickering between Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei died into the background as she did her best not to scream. Her arms shook with the effort. The knuckles that gripped her oar and the pink compact tuned white with force. Her lips shut in a thin line as she began to breathe in through her nostrils, counting from one to ten.

It was not unusual for Koenma to ask her to run errands for him while she was out. But if he thought she was going to go all the way to freaking New York City he had another thing coming. That would take hours! She had already pulled a 72 hour shift without breaks twice this week, this being the second of them. There was no way she was extending that any further.

"Botan?" She barely registered the gentle baritone that called her name from ahead. But she did hear it and she managed to calm down a little. She opened her eyes and met the gaze of the man who was watching her. He had paused in their march towards the border between the two worlds. The others had yet to notice her problem and were still arguing. She felt her eye begin to twitch in barely contained agitation.

After a few seconds she felt it start to dissipate. She was coming back around but they three of them had been prickly in this mission and some of their irritation had reached her in the form of a couple of well placed jibes and snarky comments. She did not appreciate being seen as a hinderance, or stupid. It riled her up and today she did not have the patience to smile and pretend it was not getting on her nerves.

She knew she was not the quickest, or the strongest, or the smartest, or the most spiritually aware but that was what they were here for, damn it. She was just there to make sure the mission went to plan and assist them in any way she could. That usually meant patching them up at the end. It was a small thing, but she thought they appreciated it. Until earlier that day any way. A few comments about holding them up had her wondering how useful she really was to them. Perhaps someone else in Reikai could do a better job than she could. With her schedule as it was, it might not have been the worst outcome. Taking a step back from her role as the assistant to the Reikai Tentei would sting, but she could still see them all occasionally. She would get more time off and they might get a more useful assistant who could actually do something for them.

She was going to think it over while she was in the bath. She did not want to leave the team, but her reason was selfish and that could not cloud her judgment. Yes, she loved being able to help in such grave situations but it seemed like her efforts were mostly wasted. Seeing Kurama regularly would have to take a back seat to what was best for the team.

She just needed a little time to herself to sort all this out in her mind. Just a little bit of peace and quiet with out any rude comments or outside negativity to cloud her thought process. So long as nothing else happened she was fairly certain she could make it to Reikai with out further incident.

"Hey Botan, seriously, get the lead out! If you get left behind I ain't coming back to save your ass."

Yusuke was completely oblivious to the effect of his words. He did not see the change in her countenance, the drop of her features, nor did he notice the weariness that suddenly took over her form. Kurama reached out, stepping forward as he did so, but he was not the first to react.

A derisive grunt reached her ear and when she looked up Kuwabara's vapid blinking told her exactly where their thought processes had all been. With a shuddering sigh she released the vice grip she had on the compact and looked up into the clouds. They appeared to be so inviting right now and she needed a respite. Her eyes closed and a fake smile took over her features. "Go on with out me. I'll see you all next time." She took off into the sky trusting that they would be able to get home without her. The border was just a few feet ahead anyway. They knew where it was. She sailed past them at a speed that surprised them all and blasted into the sky. By the time the wind died down she was barely a dot in sky.

Yusuke blinked at her disappearing form, genuinely confused as to what had just occurred. Alright so he was grumpy, but usually Botan was the one person that could take his teasing or nasty attitude in stride without letting it effect her too much. "What just happened?" He asked looking around at the other guys.

Hiei snorted. "The onna is just overly sensitive," he sneered but quickly fell silent as a tense Kurama stepped forward.

The kitsune did not say a word. He did not need to. The set of his jaw and the sharp glare that emitted from his whole being said it all. When Hiei looked away with a huff at being silently told off the red headed man dropped the compact into the smaller mans hand and pressed play, allowing Koenma's voice to fill the air. "Deal with this," he said quietly with no room for argument.

Hiei glared at the machine and promptly stuffed the abomination into his cloak where it could not be seen. Kurama did not waste any more time. Botan was moving fast and her energy was growing distant. He started to run, jumping into the trees to follow her.

Kuwabara nudged Yusuke in the ribs. "I think you should probably apologise. You're lucky Kurama didn't rip your head off."

The black haired man thought back on the look that his friend had graced them with and scratched his head. "No kidding."

* * *

Botan floated along letting the wind rush through her hair. It was peaceful up here and she found that she was not ready to go back to the busy halls of Reikai yet. After a little while floating along at a leisurely pace she saw a beautiful pool of water that shimmered back at her invitingly through the trees. It was picturesque and she briefly wondered it it belonged to anyone or if there was some sort of nefarious individual that had claimed it as their own.

She circled back around to get a better look. The little pond was situated amongst the trees. There were no signs warning trespassers and from what she could remember this area was in some sort of 'National Park' as humans said. At least she hoped so. If she was honest she did not really care right now just so long as she was not wandering into a demon's or psychic's territory. She scanned the area and felt nothing, so she drifted down to the shoreline. She picked a spot in the sun and immedielty began to remove her outer layers. She just wanted a few minutes and this place was too perfect to pass up. The mossy bank was covered in smooth rocks and little flowers were clustered around in bright violets and canary yellows. The trees near by vaulted into the sky, their leaves dancing in the light breeze. Carefully she folded up her kimono and placed her obi on top of it. She set her things down on a particularly large boulder. Her shoes and socks quickly followed. Before she could talk herself out of it she was wading into the water. It was chilly but that was a nice change to the heat she had endured in Makai.

She pulled her hair down, remembering at the last minute how much of a pain an elastic band could be to remove when her mane was wet. Her legs pushed past her under layers, now heavy with water, the shimmering surface of the water lapping against the sensitive skin of her stomach. With a sigh she laid back. She expected to have to put in some effort but as if fate had finally heard her plea for just one thing to go her way, she was left to watch the clouds float by without worry. The sun peaked through the trees and lit up her little patch perfectly, keeping her warm enough to remain comfortable.

She relaxed; a luxury she had not been afforded in some time. the scent of flowers dirtied to her and she inhaled deeply. The clouds passed over head at a leisurely pace and she could not help but try to name their shapes as they meandered by. The chirp of a little red breasted bird sounded in the afternoon breeze. The woodland was quiet for the most part and it all felt rather untouched.

She would have to remember this little piece of paradise. It would allow her to think without the normal concerns to bother her. No Koenma, no afterlife responsibilities, and no saving the universe, or the world, or the town... none of it. It was almost if by stepping into the water she had frozen time and suddenly she realised, somewhat belatedly, that perhaps this was not the best time to try and clear ones mind.

She had something she need to mull over. More than one thing in fact. She had a great deal to sift through. As quickly as the thought flew into her mind she was wishing it had not, for all of her problems came flooding back and a jumble of emotions that she had been ignoring for far too long bubbled up to the surface. She did not know when she began to cry but she was. Two little twin rivers trailed down from her eyes to join the clear waters she had sought refuge in. She did not wipe them away. She let it continue hoping that if she did it would solve everything.

She did not see him approach, but she did not move when she felt the ripples increase nor when she heard the motion of his legs as he walked towards her. She had just known that if it was going to be anyone, it was going to be him. He had followed her out of concern. She could hardly blame him. If one of her friends had just wandered off in the same manner that she just had she would be worried too. But that was not all. They had been getting closer over the years. It was not unusual for him to laugh, joke, touch, or on occasion confide in her.

She did not jump when she felt his skin connect with hers. Instead she gripped the hand he offered to her. She felt him wrap an arm around her, his strong limb leaving a burning imprint where they were connected, the fiery red of his hair peaking into her sights. The water began to pool around her and she was about to object at being removed from her respite, but she soon understood that was not his intention. He stopped just far enough out so that he could sit and she would still be able to rest as she was.

Her eyes drifted to the pile of clothes next to hers. Normally she would have flushed a million shades of red by now, but right now the handsome mans dress, or lack thereof, was not at the forefront of her mind. Never mind the fact that she always blushed whenever he touched her.

When he had spotted her floating in the pond clad in white with her azure hair swimming around her like some goddess of old he had not wanted to intrude. She was breathtakingly beautiful no matter the day but today, in this light, she was simply ethereal. Only when the unmistakeable scent of salt reached his keen nose did he intervene. He almost expected her to pull away from him and he would not have blamed her. They were close but he had never given her an obvious reason to think that he saw her as more than a close friend, but he did. It pained him to see her like this and he would do just about anything to have her smile genuinely again.

Now they were resting together. She drifted just above his legs, the sun lighting them both up keeping her face and his back aglow. He felt the brush of her fingertips against his ribs as she tilted her head back to see him. The way his afternoon rays bounced off his red hair really did make it look like a curtain of lava, certain strands lighter or darker depending on how much light they caught. Emerald eyes watched her as he stroked her hair. The action made more liquid collect at her lashes threatening to spill over.

"I'll be alright soon," she promised, finding it hard not to reassure him when he regarded her with such concern and affection. His softer natures were on display for her, something she found was a privilege she had been granted, one not afforded to many others so unabashedly or without an agenda attached.

The hand that had been stroking her hair stilled for a moment before she leaned into him as he cradled her closer. She felt the brush of his other arm under her knees. "Take your time. I will be here."

Botan smiled allowing herself to twist a piece of red hair around her finger, marvelling at the texture. She had always wanted to play with this hair but she had assumed he would not take kindly to such a gesture. He did not object. If anything he seemed to get closer. She stretched out her legs and closed her eyes or a time, letting the sum illuminate the back of her lids in brilliant red and golds.

She did not know how long they sat there but after a time she felt a shiver run down her body. By now her skin had puckered and wrinkled in the way that often occurred when she stayed in the bath for too long. The sun had moved and she felt the ripple of water against her skin and she was moving again. A gust of wind came through the trees and she opened her eyes to be met by his. Her whole body shuddered as the chill of the air hit her dampen clothes. Kurama shifted her weight, moving so that her back was pressed firmly against his chest. The warmth was comforting and she could not help but sigh. She felt much calmer than she had been and she was sure it was all to do with the man currently seated behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist and chest while his legs were bent on either side of hers. Botan leaned her head back to rest on his broad shoulder, allowing the warmth emanating from his body to heat her own. It was that heat that caused her to look down to where his arm had found itself nestled firmly between her breasts.

Under any other circumstances she would have blushed or possibly pitched an embarrassed fit but today she did not have the energy for such a show. Nor did she have the will to cover the now semi sheer material. The white silk clung to her curves, and showed the outline of her lacy undergarments in contrast to her pale skin. Her habit of wearing items that matched had come in handy. It helped her to feel better when things were not going her way. Instead of her normal reactions, she placed her right hand on his knee that was helping to anchor them both, and the left rested on the knuckles of his hand which had settled on her hip.

"Do you want to talk about it?" The vibrations from his words felt nice against her back and she turned her head into the sound.

"I'm alright now. I was just frustrated and tired," she said thinking back on the afternoon and the compilation of events that had lead to her flying away from the group.

"Tired of?" he asked with his cheek against her hair and briefly she wondered what he was doing there, in this position. He was holding her so close, as if she was something precious. They were not lovers, but anyone passing would have mistaken them as such. Not that she would have objected, in fact she would have been thrilled, but he had never shown an interest in that way. Never the less he was here, embracing her in such a caring and intimate way that she found herself longing for it to be true. She wanted to be the object of his affections and if she was honest she had wanted that for quite a while.

She squeezed his hand and watched in pleasant surprise as he loosened his grip on her hip to spread him own fingers wide before lacing them with hers. She smiled softly enjoying the feel of him while it lasted.

"All of the name calling, yelling, barked orders, snarky comments, long hours, no breaks, feeling useless..."

She could not see the frown but she could feel it against her skin. She felt his nose gently brush her cheek. "You are not useless," he said firmly, clearly troubled by her confession.

Botan let out a sigh and allowed her eyes to drift to the sky once more. "I know... but you boys don't really need me tagging along and slowing everything down." Her small smile turned sad and he did not like it one bit. She expected him to berate her, or scoff. Mostly she was expecting him to agree with her. She felt the muscles in his arm and chest contract pulling her in tighter.

"Thats not accurate," he said with a strain in his voice.

She dared not turn to see how he meant it. The words left her speechless for a moment as her eyes went wide, but she quickly recovered reminding herself that the man behind her was Kurama, calm and collected Kurama, who never said anything without reason. There was always a logical process behind everything he did and this time she had no doubt he meant to reassure her and comfort her. It was working.

So she nodded. "I can heal people-"

She was cut off those arms that had captured her quickly moving to turn her in his embrace so that they were face to face. Calloused fingertips came up to brush away at the now dry lines where tears had coated her cheeks, the water from his skin erasing the evidence of their existence. She watched in awe as he leaned forward to rest his forehead on hers.

She was not known to be brave. Sure she had her moments where she was rescuing the damsel in distress, swinging base ball bats or oars at bad guys, shoving people away from danger, or incorporating powerful engery orbs into her body to protect the universe, but bravery was not her defining attribute. In this moment though she felt brave, the hungry and accepting look in his beautiful emerald eyes coaxing her in. It was a risk but it seemed less of one right now for some reason and she decided to take the chance.

She was not sure if it was him pulling her forward or her rising up to meet him, but with hardly any space between them they paused and she realised he was looking for a sign of permission. And she gave it, her lips grazing his gently almost teasing. He growled and before she could fully comprehend what was happening he was claiming her lips as his own with a passion she had not expected after his hesitation.

He nipped her lower lip gently causing her gasp. He barely gave her time to catch her breath before they were linked again, lips sliding hungrily against one another in manner that demanded an equally fervent response from her. She felt a jolt as his tongue slid past hers. She trailed her hands up his chest towards the smooth skin of his neck, fingers dancing over the muscle. She felt the ground materialise under her and she leaned into his touch. The heat of his hands scorched her skin as one came up to tangle itself in her hair angling her so that his kiss could slow to a sensual burn that left her body arching into his, aching with desire.

She felt his other hand trail down to her waist and then slide over her rear, as he turned them so that he could use the new leverage to coax her leg over his, his hand running up her long lean legs that had been on display for him earlier. The white material fell aside and he felt that tantalising edge of lace at her hip to scratch the palm of his hand. Botan groaned at the contact of his hand on the tops of her thigh, running the tip of her tongue against the sharp angle of his teeth.

He pulled back in part to take in the sight of her and also to catch his breath. He had never in a million years expected her to be open to his advances, but she was not only open to them, she was responding with just as much passion. As much as he wanted to continue down this vein, there were some matters to attend to. But it was so hard when she was looking back at him with a hooded gaze dark with emotion.

Still they and a few things to clear up. He could not have her leaving the team. He needed her there; wanted her there. A shift of her hips brought a hiss from his lips and she tilted her head in surprise.

"I want you." His statement made her want to chuckle and blush all at once. She had thought that much was obvious by now, the evidence of which was starting to grow, hard on her inner thigh. She saw the demanding urgency in his eyes and she realised that he was continuing their conversation and also informing her of something at the same time. He wanted her. Could it be that simple?

"You..." she began to smile again. "want me?" She waited while he leaned over her making sure she could see how very serious he was. There was to be no confusion.

"I need you. You keep me sane." Thinking back, she could see that. For all of his patience he was not a saint. The team tested his limits at times and in such situations he often came to stand near her for just a few moments of quiet. She had never known why until now. Another breeze blew through and she noticed the chill on her shoulder. Her shoulder was bare, the white silk having come loose in their movements.

They both looked down to where her heaving chest was pushing against his, the lace edging of her bra peaking out from her hem provocatively. His intense gaze focused on hers for a moment and then traveled down along with his lips as he guided her onto her back. She was not sure when they had moved further up the bank but she was glad he had the forethought to consider it as her head rested on a moss covered rock while the water lapped at her legs.

She gasped at the feel of his open kiss at the rise of her breast and moaned as he breathed in deeply, the smell of her arousal heavy in the air around them. His lips trailed down the lace edge of her bra, his tongue occasionally darting out to taste the skin there. She was perfect and while he did not want to scare her away he was hard pressed not to release her flesh from its confines.

"And I do not just mean for work," he admitted, his voice dropped down as he heard her moan, a hand at the back of his neck pushing him closer to her skin. The sound made him loose focus. He wanted to hear that noise again. He clenched his jaw together as he felt the delicate scratch of nails agasint his abdomen as she traced his muscles. Her hand drifted lower to find the edge of his boxers where her fingertips stilled. She heard a deep grumble from his throat as she caressed him. She smiled impishly at him as he leaned back from her chest. Deviously he smirked at her. Two could play at that game.

He heard her sharp intake of breath as his mouth opened to gently kiss at a blush coloured peak through the thin lilac lace. His hand drifted from her hip to her inner thigh before moving to stroke the lace playfully. A long deep moan brought his eyes up to see her face and he could not help the grin of masculine satisfaction that raised his cheeks. She had said she was frustrated. He could think of a few remedies for that, all of which involved him getting her to a place where she could relax and he could bring her to the height of pleasure again and again in as many ways as she desired.

A crash in the woods near by brought his attention to their surroundings and he frowned, lifting his head. She looked over his shoulder, his movements having brought her attention to the noise.

"Damn it! Where the hell are those two?" Yusuke's shout echoed through the trees and they both knew that their time alone was coming to a close for now.

She pulled her garments back onto her person and looked at him suddenly uncertain. Yusuke's voice had brought their secluded paradise crashing back down to the real world and she did not know if whatever this had been would continue now that the spell was broken. She desperately hoped it would.

He did not say anything and to her that implied a great deal. If she had not already been cold due to her swim she would have equated the feeling to having ice water dumped over her head. It was like being slapped in the face. She was self conscious at once and immediately moved to cover herself.

"Kurama I-" She started with a shaky dejected tone only to be silenced by the demanding kiss of the man before her. The arm she had pulled over her chest was gently removed as he held her hand in his. The words she was about to speak died and were replaced by passion once more as he refused allow her to believe that this was it. He had seen the doubt and confusion bubbling to the surface and he could not have that. Not now that he had finally done something about this growing attraction they had for each other.

When he felt her shoulders loosen once more and she was no longer running over the worst possible outcomes in her mind he pulled back. "I do not regret what happened," he stated quietly enough that they would not be over heard. "And I will accept it if you do, but I am hoping you feel the same way I do, Kio."

Swollen lips parted slightly as she took in his words and blushed prettily. "I don't regret it at all," she said, stroking his cheek with her hand. "I've been wanting to do that for a long time."

"I would like to take you somewhere," he said hoping she would agree. Botan deserved a break. He had always suspected she was kept busy, but their discussion had confirmed it. He wanted to do whatever he could to help and he had the perfect outing in mind.

She nodded, much to his relief, and then quickly began to straighten her attire making sure nothing was showing. Both soon noticed that merely putting her white silk back in place would not solve the problem. The material was still wet and very sheer. Botan looked a little panicked as the sound of the boys drifted ever closer. Within seconds they would be in full view. She was not comfortable with the other boys witnessing her in such a state of undress. Ever the quick thinker he moved to stand before her, his broad back blocking any view the others might have had.

The grumpy spirit detective stomped over, clearly fed up with marching about the country side looking for them. When they entered his line of sight he gave them the once over and came to an abrupt halt. "Guys, what the hell are you doing?" he asked, taking in the odd sight before him. So far as he could tell they had interrupted the pair and Kurama was being oddly protective of Botan's person.

"We went for a swim." The red head said over his shoulder, carefully retrieving her kimono so that he could place it on her shoulders. As she began to fold it in place he pushed a few errant strands of damp blue hair out of her face.

Kuwabara did not seem to believe them, as he looked around at the lack of clothing and the disturbed pond bank where their bodies had just been laying. "You went for a swim... in your underwear," he said, needing to clarify. He was pretty sure he had a grasp of the situation but he just wanted to make sure. The red thread of fate worked in mysterious ways.

"And you didn't invite me?" Yusuke asked somewhat jokingly.

Botan poked her head around Kurama as he helped her with her obi. She had it mostly under control but he placed in hand at the front to keep every thing in place as she twisted the bow around to the back. How she managed to do it he was not really sure but she did wear such garments almost everyday. "Sorry, about earlier boys. I was feeling a little stressed." Her sheepish grin grew as her red headed hunk moved to retrieve his clothes and she was reminded of exactly how they had been found. Not that she minded. When he turned she could see the defined muscles of his shoulders that lead down to a pair of dimples at his lower back that were the start to a perfect posterior. And when he turned around the sight of his well toned abs was just as delicious. This was going a long way to making her feel better. That gorgeous man had just told her that he wanted her in his life and had taken a few confident steps to reassuring her of that fact. There was no way she was letting him slip though her fingers. Work be damned.

Yusuke shrugged, trying not to pay attention to the way his team-mates were doting on each other. "No big deal. Just let us know when you need some you time." Botan tore her gaze away and nodded in understanding and thanks.

Kuwabara frowned, and looked at his watch. It was getting late and Shizuru would not be pleased if he was late for dinner again. "What now? Should we head home?"

Botan looked over to Kurama who was fastening up the last few buttons of his shirt, not bothering to tuck it into his jeans. She remembered what he had said earlier. He wanted to take her somewhere. He had not explicitly said when but she had understood his words to mean now. "No," she said looking up at an odd angle to a spot just above Yusuke's head where she knew a camera was following him. "I think I'm taking some time off."

Kurama smiled, moving to stand next to her. "We are going to an onsen." His announcement brought an excited gasp to Botan's pretty face. He had thought she would like the idea.

And apparently "We should get the gang together and-" Yusuke's excitement was cut short as the kitsune tilted his head onward to kiss her pale brow and push her bags back slightly.

"Perhaps next time Yusuke. This is a date." Kurama laced his fingers together with hers and squeezed her hand gently. "The first of many."

"Many?" she repeated with a pretty stain of pink spreading across her cheeks. He liked making her blush and he planned to make sure she did so more often. In fact he had a number of plans he intend to jumpstart as soon as they were within range of some dry clothes. Or perhaps they would forgo the clothes all together and just go straight to a resort. He had one in mind already. Having been there many years before, he was sure she would love it. And for what he had in mind they would not be needing much in the way of clothes.

"Yes Koishii." His husky voice traveled to her ears and she squeezed his hand back whilst producing her oar.

Yusuke watched, and while he was not sure when this had started he was glad it had. "I'm not normally one for romance but I'm happy for you guys. Have a good time. We'll plan something for the group soon. Maybe a beach trip. Keiko's been buggin' me about it," he said as he brushed his nose with his thumb.

"Yeah, see you two later!" Kuwabara said with a spring in his step and loud declarations pronouncing the power of love in his wake.

Botan giggled as she watched the two men wander off towards the nearest bus or train and briefly wondered where Hiei had managed to find himself. She did not concern her self too much. He was probably dozing in his favourite tree by now. She sat on the wooden handle and felt the weight of the tall kitsune settle in behind her. "So where to?" she asked with curiosity. It had been absolute ages since she had been to an onsen. Really, it was exactly what she needed. Long soaks in therapeutic waters in a tranquil setting sounded like heaven. It was far closer to the ideal than the real thing at the moment.

Kurama raised his hand to point her in the direction he was aiming for. "Hokkaido. We can stop at a cafe and I'll call the resort." His hand lowered to rest on the flat plains of her stomach as they hovered in the air. Her skin had goosebumps from the chip of her damp clothes but it would not take long to get where they were going. He tightened his grip on her as they began to fly. The top of her head fit perfectly under his chin. "And then we can relax. You deserve a break."

Botan smiled and took a deep breath in. She did deserve a break from the world. But not him. With a giggle she shot them off into the clouds. This time she was taking him along for the ride.

* * *

End Comments: This was one of those fics that sort of refused to let me work on much else until i has it fleshed out. For any of my KuramaBotan fans I do have more in the works for them. I figure it's about time that my original fandom (and my favourite) finally got a multi chapter story out of me. I'm working on that and a few other things so keep your eyes open. I hope you enjoyed this. Reviews are always welcome, but please no flames. I do not a have a beta reader so do forgive nay mistakes you may find. I do my best to fix them. Until next time!


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